The state is dealing with delays in getting drinking water test results as it investigates water contamination in southern New Hampshire.Click to watch News 9's coverage.State officials said they sent a letter of deficiency to ALS Global, the company handling tests for perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, in wells around various industrial facilities in New Hampshire.The state paid for five-day expedited testing, but it said the Washington-based company has fallen severely behind because of the volume of tests coming out of New Hampshire."They have brought a second test machine -- and these are about a half million, quarter million dollar machines -- online. They have brought additional staff online," said DES assistant commissioner Clark Freise.The state is bringing on a local contractor to send samples to other labs around the country, but DES officials said they would prefer to stay with the lab in Washington because it tests for the widest range of PFCs."We'll look for additional testing capacity if we can, but the reality is there aren't that many contractors out there who do that," Gov. Maggie Hassan said. "But again, we have been working aggressively. It is a priority for all of us to make sure Granite Staters have clean drinking water."The state said it has hired a local contractor to work on the sample backlog, but it would prefer to stay with ALS because it tests for the broadest spectrum of PFCs with the greatest sensitivity.In the meantime, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released a new standard for how much PFOA is safe. The new standard of 70 parts per trillion is more stringent than the 100 parts per trillion the state was using as a standard previously.The new standard is prompting a minor reset of the response to PFOA contamination in the southern part of the state.State environmental officials said that means a few more people will get bottled water under the new standard."First, what everybody should know is that we will work aggressively to determine whether there are households that meet this new standard that aren't currently getting bottled water," said Hassan.The only public water well that tested above 70 parts per trillion was one well in the Merrimack Village District system, and that well is offline.Officials at the Department of Environmental Services said they welcome the change, but that the delay in getting PFOA test results is a bigger headache."We're trying to speed up the process," said Clark.The state approved a retroactive sole-source contract with ALS Global, and each one of these tests can cost hundreds of dollars, so there are potentially thousands of dollars on the line.ALS is said to be bringing experts from Australia to help improve its processes and chip away at the backlog.Representatives from ALS could not be reached for comment.

CONCORD, N.H. —

The state is dealing with delays in getting drinking water test results as it investigates water contamination in southern New Hampshire.

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State officials said they sent a letter of deficiency to ALS Global, the company handling tests for perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, in wells around various industrial facilities in New Hampshire.

The state paid for five-day expedited testing, but it said the Washington-based company has fallen severely behind because of the volume of tests coming out of New Hampshire.

"They have brought a second test machine -- and these are about a half million, quarter million dollar machines -- online. They have brought additional staff online," said DES assistant commissioner Clark Freise.

The state is bringing on a local contractor to send samples to other labs around the country, but DES officials said they would prefer to stay with the lab in Washington because it tests for the widest range of PFCs.

"We'll look for additional testing capacity if we can, but the reality is there aren't that many contractors out there who do that," Gov. Maggie Hassan said. "But again, we have been working aggressively. It is a priority for all of us to make sure Granite Staters have clean drinking water."

The state said it has hired a local contractor to work on the sample backlog, but it would prefer to stay with ALS because it tests for the broadest spectrum of PFCs with the greatest sensitivity.

In the meantime, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released a new standard for how much PFOA is safe. The new standard of 70 parts per trillion is more stringent than the 100 parts per trillion the state was using as a standard previously.

The new standard is prompting a minor reset of the response to PFOA contamination in the southern part of the state.

State environmental officials said that means a few more people will get bottled water under the new standard.

"First, what everybody should know is that we will work aggressively to determine whether there are households that meet this new standard that aren't currently getting bottled water," said Hassan.

The only public water well that tested above 70 parts per trillion was one well in the Merrimack Village District system, and that well is offline.

Officials at the Department of Environmental Services said they welcome the change, but that the delay in getting PFOA test results is a bigger headache.

"We're trying to speed up the process," said Clark.

The state approved a retroactive sole-source contract with ALS Global, and each one of these tests can cost hundreds of dollars, so there are potentially thousands of dollars on the line.

ALS is said to be bringing experts from Australia to help improve its processes and chip away at the backlog.